Second Chances: Simon & Simon, Jr?
by jtbwriter
Summary: When Rick and Laurie Simon take in an abandoned boy, it sets in motion a frightening series of events that endanger both family and friends. Dedicated to the fans, old and new.
1. Chapter 1

Second Chances: Simon and Simon, Jr.?

When Rick and Laurie Simon take in an abandoned boy, it sets in motion a frightening series of events that endanger both family and friends.

(This is a fictional story, and no money is being made from it. The characters from Simon & Simon and Six Million Dollar Man are owned by Universal Studios and are only being borrowed for a little while, I promise to put them back when I'm done.)

"There she goes!"

Rick laughed at his wife's excitement as the real-life fairy "flew" to the top of the castle, then set off an explosion of fireworks.

"Oh, that's so beautiful….." Laurie hung on his arm as they watched from the bucket ride carrying them through Fantasyland down to Tomorrowland. Gazing on her face in the glow of the park, Rick couldn't resist "stealing" a kiss.

"Rick!….mmmm" Laurie instantly reciprocated, then cuddled against him as they began the descent to the ride's end. "Tinker isn't the only one who's beautiful…" Rick whispered as they landed on the platform.

"That's because you make me so happy, darling." She responded, smiling as he helped her out of the bucket. As they exited the ride, hand in hand, a familiar voice met them.

"I told you that was Mom and Pop smooching up there."

Rick laughed as his son Robbie greeted them at the foot of the stairs. Behind him a smiling Ramona balanced a wriggling Katie while Andy held Lala's hand, stopping her from running after an ice cream vendor.

"You got good eyes son, here, let me have my Katie, honey." He held out his arms for his daughter-in-law to pass the brown-eyed baby over.

"Grandma, look at my mouse ears!" Andy grinned proudly as Laurie pulled out her camera and snapped a picture. "You look so funny, Andy. How do you like Disneyland?"

"I love this place, it's so cool!" the youngster gushed, waving his bag of souvenirs. "I even got stuff to give for Christmas!"

"That's the boy!" Rick smiled at his grandson. Andy was just like his father, always thinking of others when he got to go someplace fun. "I'm sure Santa's going to appreciate you being so generous."

'Speaking of generous, I have to say thanks again to you and Mom, I can't believe how wonderful this trip has been." Ramona hugged Laurie then Rick. "And sharing Mom's birthday trip with us…."

"It's been our treat, honey. I didn't know you'd never been to Disneyland, everyone should go at least once." Rick snickered as Laurie added, impishly, "And get their own set of ears, speaking of which…"

She pulled a set from her bag and popped them on her husband's head. Rick yelped with surprise.

"Laurie! You didn't, aw darlin', I look stupid with them!" he groused, to his grandson's amusement.

"Grandpa, that's great!" Andy giggled as Lala pointed at Rick and crowed, "Grandpa Mouse!"

"Come on, sweetheart, don't make me wear them!" he pleaded, then simmered down as Laurie sighed.

"Yes, darling. I'm sorry to embarrass you." she said, plucking them off his head, then dropping a kiss on his cheek.

Seeing the disappointed looks on his grandchildren's faces, Rick grumbled but put his ears back on. "All right, but if A.J. sees that picture…I'll never hear the end of it!"

"Don't worry, Rick, I'll just threaten to show you his Cheesy Chuck pictures, I think mice just run in the family!" Laurie smirked, then slipped her arm in his as he shifted a sleeping Katie in his grip and led the way back to the monorail.

"Now this is the way to enjoy a vacation, son, let someone else do the driving." Rick boasted as the group disembarked a few minutes later at their hotel. As they entered the lobby, Robbie and Ramona insisted that Rick and Laurie take some time for themselves.

"We'll be all right going upstairs, Mom, you and Dad enjoy the water show." Ramona embraced them as Robbie added, "We'll meet you guys for breakfast at 8, okay?"

"That's a good idea, Robbie, we'll start for home after some Mickey Mouse pancakes." Laurie teased, exchanging kisses with her grandchildren. Rick handed over a now wide-awake Katie, who suddenly decided she wanted her daddy.

"We'll be up in a while, but don't wait up!" he snickered, then took his wife's hand as they watched their family disappear into the elevator.

"Alone at last!" he winked at Laurie, then laughed as she put her arms around him. "This is the best part of the day, Rick. Anywhere alone with you." Giving her a squeeze, Rick saw a postcard kiosk behind her .

"Sweetheart, did you get any cards for the kids?" he asked, remembering her promise to bring some for A.J.'s children.

"No, oh, thank you, Rick." She smiled. Giving him a kiss, she added, "I'll just run in and out of the gift shop, I'll be right back."

"Famous last words." Rick teased as she walked toward the small store.

Just then a loud voice interrupted the quiet of the area. "I've had it with you!"

A man went storming by, followed by a weeping woman and red-faced boy. "You can just go up to the room by yourselves, I'll be back later." He yelled, then vanished out the main entrance.

"Mom, it's okay, we'll manage." The boy said, an ashamed look on his face.

The crying woman, looked up at him, then seemingly noticed for the first time someone else's presence.

"I….oh excuse all the noise." She sniffed, then turned toward the elevators.

Instantly Rick was feeling sorry for the mother and son, how embarrassed they must have felt. What kind of a husband did that to his family.

"It's okay, Ma'am. Are you two all right?" he asked, touched by the grateful look mother and son gave him.

"We'll be fine, sir. We're just going upstairs, Mr., uh?" the woman started, then was silent as Laurie came out of the gift shop and joined them.

"I'm Rick Simon, this is my wife, Laurie. Would you like to sit down for a moment?" Rick offered.

Startled, it appeared the blonde-haired woman had not seen Laurie with Rick. "Uh, I'm all right"

"This is supposed to be a happy place, I'd hate to see anyone leave with a bad memory like….well." Laurie said as the boy took his mother's hand and smiled at them.

"We're okay, Mrs. Simon. Thank you, though. You too, mister." He nodded at Rick, giving him an admiring look. "I'm Tim Michaels, this is my mother, Sharon."

"I'm pleased to meet you , son. Just in case, if you need help…here's our number." Rick eagerly handed over his business card.

"Thank you, Mr. Simon, I appreciate your offer." Mrs. Michaels took the card from him, then said good night as she and the boy walked into a waiting elevator.

"That was nice of you, darling. Poor boy, no child should ever see something like that." Laurie leaned against Rick, as they saw the water show begin from the outside garden.

"I know, I hope they'll be all right." Rick sighed, then grinned as she yawned.

"Come on, Cinderella, I think it's time for you and I to get upstairs before we turn into pumpkins."

A day later, Rick still couldn't get the Michaels' out of his head. He hoped the boy wouldn't have to grow up too soon, he knew from experience how that hurt. Once he and Laurie got to his brother's condo, Rick found himself forgetting about the hotel incident as he anticipated A.J.'s reaction to his gift.

"Rick, you didn't….that's too funny!" A.J. pulled a pair of mouse ears from the sack he was handed as his son Ricky snickered.

"Dad, that's great. Thanks, Uncle Rick for getting him those." his nephew told him, as Rick pretended to high five him.

"I knew you were a bad influence on your namesake!" A.J. pretended to grumble, then grinned as his wife paraded the new Snow White t-shirt her sister-in-law had brought her.

"That's cute, Linny, a much better gift then mine."

Linda giggled, then sat next to her husband. "I'm sorry, honey, but those ears are priceless. Where is my sis, Rick? I want to thank her for this shirt, it's so soft."

"She's with Ceci, hon. Wait a minute, I hear them now." Rick announced, then paled as he saw his niece helping support a white-faced Laurie.

"Thank you, Ceci. I'm all right now." She managed, then caught his arm as he came to her side.

"Uncle Rick, Auntie's having a dizzy spell." Ceci told him, worriedly.

"Thanks, sweetie. Darlin', are you all right?" Rick carefully assisted Laurie onto a sofa as Linda went to get some water. He gently rubbed her back as A.J. quickly called Rudy Wells, alerting him to her distress.

"Yes, Rick, I'm fine, just give me a minute." She told him softly, her breathing easing. After a moment the color came back into her face.

"Here, Sis, drink this." Linda came back with a glass of water, then Rick helped her sip it slowly.

"Thank you, Linda. Better, sweetheart?" he asked, his fears melting as she nodded, a smile on her lips.

"All better, darling. I'm just glad Ceci was with me, I didn't even have a warning or anything."

"What happened, Laurie?" Rick supported her as she closed her eyes and shivered.

"Rick, it was so…strange. ." Laurie hesitated, then Linda got the hint . "Ricky, Cec, can you sit with Melly for a moment, I'll be in to feed her as soon as Uncle Rudy gets here."

The young girl started to pout, then caught her Aunt's pleading look and disappeared out the door as her brother hung back to hug Laurie, then left the room.

"Thank you, Sis. I didn't want them to hear what I saw." Laurie added, then Rick stroked her hair. "It's all right, angel. I don't want you afraid to tell us what you see."

"It was in your old office, Rick. I was waiting for you .., then this woman came at me, pinned me against the wall and … I couldn't stop her." Laurie's mouth trembled, "I fought with her until you came in the door, suddenly there was a gun pointed at you. I heard Ceci call my name, and I was outside and she was asking me what was wrong."

"Sweetheart, it's okay. I won't let anyone hurt you. Why would someone come after you like that?" Rick worried that the vision was so frightening, especially since she'd finally come to terms with her "gift".

"I don't know, darling. It was so weird…." Laurie looked down, then smiled as Rick lifted her face to his and kissed her. "I love you, Laurie. We can handle anything together, remember?"

She beamed as she put her arms around his neck and snuggled into his embrace. "How could I forget "together".

Just then Rudy Wells came in and went immediately to Laurie's side. "Honey, how do you feel?" he asked, calmly taking her pulse and blood pressure after greeting the Simons.

"Much better, Rudy. I'm just glad Ceci was outside, I thought I was going to go face first into the grass." she answered. After a moment the doctor straightened up.

"Rick, you and Linda and A.J. did the right things with Missy here, her vitals are good. I just don't like that you're not having warnings like you used to."

"Maybe this is what the Chief was saying, that Laurie's premonitions were getting weaker after being so strong before." Rick hazarded a guess, then was relieved to see Rudy nod in agreement.

"I think so too, son. I want you to take it easy for the rest of the day, Laurie. I want to talk to the Chief also, but you're not going anywhere by yourself until we figure out what you saw, okay?"

"Yes, Rudy." She sighed, then Rick added, "One thing we know won't happen, there's no reason for you to go to our old office, darlin'."

"That's right, honey." A.J. hugged his sister-in-law as Linda said, "Lunch is on, Rudy. You'll stay, won't you?" As if to punctuate her words, Ceci and Robin came into the room, then launched themselves at their favorite doctor. "Uncle Rudy!"

"Sure, Linda, if only to eat lunch with these two, have you been good?" he replied, laughing as he picked both children up and hugged them.

As the others headed toward the dining room, Rick looked down at his wife, then felt a shiver of fear.

"What is it, love?" Laurie saw his expression change, then embraced him. "It's okay, I'm safe with my brave knight. Please don't worry."

"I won't, princess." He smiled at her. "Come on, I'm hungry for something not shaped like a mouse!"

"Speaking of a mouse, did you know some guy was found dead at your hotel yesterday?" A.J. stuck his head around the dining room door.

Surprised, Laurie took the newspaper her brother-in-law held out and glanced at the national news section.

"That's awful, some poor business guy was found in his hotel room, he'd been robbed. No sign of forced entry, Rick, that's scary."

"Let me see, darlin'." Rick read the article, then saw that the victim had been seen with a blonde woman before his death, and that the police were asking for the public to come forward with any leads.

"That's too bad, guess it happens in the best places, Laurie." He said, then saw the police sketch of a possible suspect. "Hmmm, this guy looks familiar." He thought, then was distracted by Linda's calling,

"Lunch is on, guys."

During the next couple of days, Rick and the rest of their family and friends kept a watchful eye on Laurie, but the upcoming Christmas holidays soon distracted everyone. Rick and A.J. finished up the last of their special client work, and both brothers were pleased that they had the time for "real" Christmas shopping.

"Now that's what I call getting it done." Rick gloated, stowing the last of his purchases in the back of the truck cab. A.J. nodded, a pleased expression on his face.

"I can't believe we actually got all the kids gifts, and Rudy and Oscar, and Mom, and the Chief and Rob and Doc…..this has got to be the earliest we've ever finished."

"Work by appointment only has to be the best thing since sliced bread." Rick answered, climbing into the truck and starting the motor. "What'cha get Linda?"

When only an "uhhhhh" greeted his question, he turned, then saw his brother's stricken look.

"Oh, you didn't, you forgot Linda?"

"Yes, what an idiot I am, wait a minute, what did you get Sis?" A.J. returned, angry at his forgetfulness.

"A new outfit, nice and warm, and some opal jewelry, you know the Chief got me a nice chunk of Opal when he went to visit Pete. The jeweler did the settings and cutting and polishing for next to nothing in exchange for some of it." Rick didn't want to sound smug, but his mental image of Laurie's delight, …he could hardly wait.

"You know, the set I got Laurie came in a pink-Linda would look cute in that, I'll show you where it is." Rick suggested. A.J. eagerly agreed, getting out and following his brother back into the mall.

As they came back out, laden again with a few more gifts, A.J. shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day my big brother would be the expert on Christmas gifts."

Rick laughed until his watch beeped. "Oh, oh…." Seeing it was Oscar Goldman's frequency, Rick grinned then hit the watch stem. "Hey, Dad, you've got good timing, we're on our way home."

"Good, son. We've had something as soon as you can." The sorrowful tone of the older man's voice made Rick's stomach drop.

"What happened, Dad? Is Laurie all right, are the kids?" he managed, then let out a sigh or relief as Oscar immediately said, "No, everyone's all right, but….well, you need to get here."

"Be home in about 25 minutes, Dad." Rick told him, his hands managing to stay firm on the wheel. A.J. put out a hand and squeezed his brother's shoulder. "It's going to be all right, Rick."


	2. Chapter 2

As the two brothers headed for the ranch, dark clouds came over the mountains, and soon Rick was cutting his speed down to avoid skidding on the now wet pavement. Just as he pulled into their driveway, the light rain turned into a downpour. Racing out of the truck with all their packages in hand, Rick was grateful that Robbie was there holding the door open.

"Pop, Uncle A.J., am I glad you're home. We were afraid you'd get caught in this."

Hurriedly putting their presents in the coat closet, Rick gave a quick hug to his son, then saw Robbie's eyes were red. Behind him Ramona held a sobbing Andy as Linda wiped her eyes and clung to Rudy.

"What is it, Robbie, what happened?" Rick asked calmly, then his breath caught as he replied, "Pop, it's Mike, he's been bitten by a snake."

"Oh, no, son, no….is he?" Rick asked, feeling numb, then heard Laurie's voice.

"Rick? Oh, Rick, A.J., thank God you guys got here all right!"

As she came into the room, Rick turned and saw her sad face, then she was in his arms, whispering, "I'm sorry, darling, I'm so sorry."

"Sweetheart…." Rick was at a loss for words. "How …what happened, was he in the barn?"

"Yes, Andy and I were gathering eggs, then Mike started barking. I knew something was wrong, so I shooed Andy out of the barn then Dad and I looked in the stalls. Suddenly there was a hissing sound, and I looked to see a huge snake rear up at Dad. Just then Mike jumped in front of him, and kept barking at it. Before I knew it…the snake lunged at Mike. I thought he missed him, then Dad shot the snake. But…" Laurie swallowed, " Mike kind of staggered, then he fell. By the time Rudy came…" Laurie cleared her throat, "he was dead."

"Darlin', I'm sorry, too." ..he managed, holding her tight. "He was as much your dog as mine, and the children's, and he helped save your life for me. He was a wonderful dog, Laurie."

Laurie gave him a faint smile. "He was, love. Poor Dad, he was going to blame himself, but I reminded him that Mike wouldn't let anything happen to any of us."

"You're right, Laurie." Rick gave her a kiss, then quietly said, "Let me go see Mike, then we'll take care of him."

As he released his wife, Oscar came in from the barn and Rick hugged him. "Are you okay, Dad?"

"I've been better, son. I'm sorry I wasn't faster with my gun, Rick." The older man replied, a despairing look on his face.

"Dad, it's like Laurie said, you had no time to react, besides, Mike not only protected you, he was taking care of Laurie." Rick exclaimed, worried about Oscar's reaction.

Oscar let out a sigh, then reluctantly nodded. "I know, son. It was just…..well, I'm going to miss him, but we had so many wonderful years with him. I never knew what it was like to have a pet, but I'm glad I got to share him."

"Me, too." Rick found it hard to speak past the lump in his throat. As he followed the older man outside, he took Laurie's hand in his, grateful she had not been alone when it happened.

Entering the barn, he saw the golden brown fur sticking out from under the sheet Rudy had gently placed over the dog. Except the unnatural quiet of the animal, it looked just like Mike was asleep.

As Rick knelt down next to Mike, he reached out and petted him, then quietly whispered, "Thanks, Mike, Thanks for being a good friend."

After a moment, he got up, then Rudy took his place. "Mike, you are .. a great pal. I'll miss how you made me feel so welcome whenever I came here. God bless you, little guy, we'll miss you." Rudy's voice cracked, and Robbie put a hand on his surrogate uncle's shoulder.

"Thanks, Uncle Rudy, he loved you like the rest of us." The doctor looked up at the younger man's face, eyes full with unshed tears, then put his hand over Robbie's. "Thank you, son."

Rick had to clear his throat before he could say anything. "Laurie, we're going to bury Mike now, can you see after the kids?"

"Of course, darling." She replied, knowing he didn't want her there as they laid their pet to rest.

As she went into the house, Rudy and Oscar picked up shovels as Rick lifted the dog's body in his arms and carried him outside. After burying Mike, the four men wearily came into the kitchen, and were touched to find a pot of coffee and plate of sandwiches on the table. After having a bite to eat, Oscar and Rudy went home, with Robbie insisting on closing up the barn.

"Sweetheart?" Rick called, leaving the kitchen, then saw Laurie coming out of the guest room.

"Shh, I just got Andy and Ceci to go take a nap before dinner." She quietly said, then smiled as Rick apologetically whispered, "Sorry, Laurie. I forgot."

"Saying you're sorry earns you a kiss, my love." Laurie crooked her finger at her husband who eagerly leaned over and pressed his lips to hers. "Always, my angel." He murmured, his sorrow eased by her comforting arms encircling him.

A loud whimper broke the quiet, and Rick looked down to see little Rex at his feet.

He sighed, they'd forgotten Mike's son in all the sadness.

"Oh, Rick, poor little guy. How do we have him understand? Here, Rexy…" Laurie called him softly and the terrier mix jumped into her arms, then leaned over and licked Rick's face.

"Good boy." Rick choked, then took the small dog from her. "Darlin', I'll take him outside while you fix dinner. Come on Rex, looks like I'm the storyteller tonight."

During the next couple of days, Rick was glad of being talked into helping with the annual Phoenix PD Christmas Bonanza. He needed to keep busy, and not dwell on the fact that Christmas has suddenly lost its spark for him.

"Okay, Ron, I think that covers it." Rick handed over the list of activities for the three-day event.

The Chief of Detectives scanned the clipboard, then grinned at the "Story Time for Cowboys and Cowgirls". "I knew you guys would rope Laurie into this-lazybones!" Ron teased.

Rick just laughed. "Nothing lazy about it, she loves reading to kids, and I can finish getting her Christmas gifts. The jeweler should have her pendant and earrings ready to pick up today."

"Good thinking, Rick. A.J., what's this "Rope the Christmas Cow"?" Ron puzzled, then let out a laugh as A.J. told him "That fake reindeer you had last year lost its antlers, so we dressed it as a cow and the kids can try to snare it with a rope."

"That's priceless. Boy I'm glad you guys are helping out with this thing." the detective admitted, knowing that planning the Christmas festival had been a welcome respite to the Simons.

Just then a phone call interrupted him. "Chief Johnson."

The two brothers started to leave, only for Ron to beckon them back with a puzzled look.

"Yes, I know Rick Simon, matter of fact he's here in the office."

Rick halted, curious about the other half of the phone conversation.

"Okay, send him in." Ron told the caller, then hung up.

"Rick, do you know a Tim Michaels?" he asked. Rick started to shake his head, then suddenly remembered the boy and his mother from their vacation hotel.

"Yeah, sorta of. Laurie and I met his mother when we went to Disneyland, I gave the kid my card in case there was anything I could do to help him." The older Simon frowned, then told Ron and A.J. how he and Laurie witnessed the mistreatment of Mrs. Michaels and her son.

"Well, Tim Michaels is coming upstairs, apparently he was found at the Greyhound station, seems someone stole his wallet and belongings. All he had on him was your card and his identification. He's refusing to talk to anyone else about what happened." Ron explained.

"Damn, I wonder where his mother is….poor kid." Rick started, then there was a knock on the door. "Come in." Ron stood up as a police officer brought in the disheveled boy. His eyes were downcast until he saw Rick, then he gave him a faint smile. "Hello Mr. Simon."

"Tim, hi…" Rick was hard put not to show his anger at whatever had happened to the kid. "This is my brother, A.J., and my friend, Chief Ron Johnson."

The boy shook hands politely with the two men. "Have a seat, son. Do you want some water or something?" Ron inquired.

"Yes, some water would be good, I'm really thirsty." Again a faint smile appeared on Tim's face.

Waiting until he had had a drink of water, Rick said, "Tim, how did you get to Phoenix, where's your parents?"

"My father and my mother left me.. last week, after we went home. Mom…she said if anything happened to her, I was to get a hold of you. Something's wrong, she wouldn't have left me alone. So I got my stuff and bought a bus ticket for here. I'd have been okay, but this guy followed me off the bus then threatened me with a knife and stole my wallet and my backpack. All my money and clothes were in it…" The boy swallowed hard. "I told the police at the station, that's when they brought me here."

"Son, isn't there any family or friends you could have contacted?" Ron looked at Rick, seeing the emotions running loose in his friend. Something just didn't click.

"No, Chief. Neither of my Grandparents are alive and my folks never mentioned any other family. I was hoping…" Tim stopped, then almost whispered, "You'd help me find my mom." Rick looked at his brother, then saw agreement in his eyes.

"Sure, Tim. I'm going to need all the background you can give me on her, and…I know this is hard, son, but where your dad may have gone to." he explained, then Ron added, "I'll have to let Social Services know that you're here, Tim. They'll find you a place…."

"No, I mean, I'm sorry, Chief, but I don't want to go to a foster home or something. I'll just go back to California then…..." Rick saw Tim draw his sleeve across his eyes, and impulsively spoke.

"You can stay with my wife and I, Tim. At least until we find your mom… and dad."

Silence greeted his words, then Ron met his gaze. "I'll have to get permission, Rick, but if it's okay with Laurie…."

"You mean it?" An unbelieving look was on the boy's face, then he seemed to catch himself.

"Uh, I can do chores and stuff, earn my way." Tim added stiffly.

Rick wanted to swear, how the hell did this kid end up like that? No way he deserved to be put in the system.

"We'll talk about chores later, Tim, but right now I want you to fill us in on the last time you saw your mom and dad, and where you lived, etc." Rick told him. He looked at A.J., who said "Go call Laurie while Tim and I talk. Are you hungry, son?"

As Rick left the room, he could hear Tim eagerly responding to his brother.

Ron was right behind him, showing him a desk he could call from. "Rick, are you sure about having the boy stay with you, this might get messy." The younger man's face was an open book to Rick, and at first he wanted to snap at his friend not to be so pessimistic.

But he knew better, so he took a breath. "Yeah, I am. He deserves better then to be abandoned. I think Laurie'll be fine about this."

Ron started to open his mouth, as if to say something, then a rueful smile appeared.

"All right, Rick, but, please be careful. I don't want to see more then the kid's heart broken here."

Rick grinned back. "Thanks, tough guy. I wasn't born yesterday, you know."

A snort was the only reply he got as he picked up a phone and dialed the ranch.

"Simon residence".

Rick's heart did it's usual flip-flop at the sound of his wife's voice. "Hey, sweetheart, how's it going?"

"Rick, oh I'm glad you called, did you get a call from the little boy we met at the hotel, you know, the one.." Laurie started enthusiastically, then stopped as Rick answered "Yes, Laurie, did he call the house?"

"Yes, he did. I, say, how did you know?" she laughed, then caught her breath as Rick said, "Darlin', I've got something to tell you."

A couple of hours later, A.J. and Rick were driving an exhausted boy through the outskirts of Silver Rock. Already a couple of leads had surfaced on Sharon Michaels, she had used her credit card to rent a car in Los Angeles, then her ATM card was used at a grocery store in Barstow.

From there her trail had gone cold, but Ron had sent out a missing persons report on both Mrs. Michaels and her husband, Jeff.

Jeff, Rick thought, didn't fit the unpleasant man he'd seen in Anaheim. Tim had been closed-mouthed about his relationship with his father. Something didn't fit, tho'.

"Rick?"

Laurie's voice filled his thoughts, and he gratefully "called" back to her. "Almost home, sweetheart."

"Mr. Simon, is that your ranch?"

Rick's reverie was broken by the weary boy's voice. "Uh, yeah, Tim. That's our ranch." Rick drove through the gate and pulled into the driveway.

A.J. got out, then helped steady Tim as he stiffly got out of the truck. Laurie was waiting on the porch, and Rick felt his heart quicken at her welcoming smile.

"There you are. Hey there, Tim." She came down the walk, then pulled the boy into a hug.

Rick saw him stiffen at the motherly contact. "Hi, Mrs. Simon. Thank you for having me."

"Well, you're welcome, son. I'm glad you came. Don't worry, Rick and A.J. will find your folks." Laurie released him, then insisted on him coming into the kitchen, where he sat at the table and devoured a club sandwich.

A.J. watched the boy eat, then Rick's grumbling stomach broke the three adults up.

"Good thing I made extras." She teased, pulling a plate of sandwiches out of the fridge.

"That's my sis!" A.J. smirked, then Rick picked up a sandwich corner with one hand and pulled his wife close for a kiss with the other.

"Thank you, darlin'. You're the best sandwich maker in town!" he joked, then laughed as Laurie replied, "Flattery will get you everywhere, love. A.J., Linda's feeding Melly in Rick's office."

"Thanks, Sis." A.J. swiped a sandwich and swaggered out of the room.

"More soda, Tim?" Laurie offered, then was startled by the boy's suddenly cold expression.

"No. I really should go back to Phoenix, help Chief Ron find my mom."

Rick glanced with surprise at Tim, then firmly told him, "You've helped all you could for the day, the Chief will call here if he needs any more information."

Anger seemed to flare in the boy's eyes, then a fake-looking smile played on his face.

"Sure, Mr. Simon. Well, can you show me where I'm to sleep?" he yawned.

Rick mentally shook his head. What was up with this kid?

"This way, son." Rick got up from the table, then led Tim to the guest bedroom.

"Do you have the bag of clothes, the Chief gave you?" he asked, then the boy seemed to think better of his manners.

"Yes, Mr. Simon. Thank the Chief for the stuff when you talk to him." Tim held out his hand, and Rick shook it. Abruptly Tim turned and went into the room, closing the door behind him.

Lost in thought, Rick came into the living room, then realized his wife had set out some hot coffee and cookies next to his chair. Smiling at the aroma, he came around to sit down and found his seat already occupied by Laurie, a Cheshire grin on her face.

"Well, look what Santa left for me, an early Christmas present." He snickered, then scooped her up and settled her in his lap.

"Well, you've been such a help to Santa today, I thought you deserved a special treat." Laurie giggled, then fed him a warm cookie.

While they were relaxing, A.J. and Linda came out of the office. "Hmmm, I thought I smelled Christmas cookies." Linda smiled, then A.J. quirked an eyebrow at his brother.

"That kid has a problem, Rick."

Rick felt like he had to defend Tim. "I know his manners are a little rough, but I figure he's been through a rough patch. He'll be okay. Ron's got an APB out on his folks, they're bound to show up sooner or later."

"Well, I hope you're right." A.J. replied, then realized how late it was. "Oh boy, Mom'll be nodding over her cards if we don't make tracks. She has a bridge game tomorrow."

"Well, you get a move on, I'll see you at the park tomorrow for set up, around ten?" Rick reminded him, then smiled as Laurie added, "Don't forget, Sis, I've got some tokens for the rides already."

"I won't, thanks, Laurie." Linda and A.J embraced their sister-in-law then Rick as they left.

As he closed the door behind them, Rick gave a sigh, then felt a kiss on his neck.

"Laurie…" he murmured, turning and catching his wife up in his arms. "I love you."

"I love you too, Rick. Don't worry, I think Tim will settle down, we just need to be patient." Laurie told him, then laughed as he carried her back to his chair, then settled the two of them down.

"Right now, I'm impatient for some more cookies, and you ." he whispered, biting into a chocolate chip cooking then taking her lips in his.

"Mmmm, you can have me anytime you want..cookie boy." Laurie replied, kissing Rick back.

"Uh, Mr. Simon?"

Startled, Rick and Laurie both turned, and saw Tim Michaels standing behind them, clad in a wrinkled nightshirt.

"Tim, are you okay?" Rick tried not to let on his annoyance at being interrupted.

"Yeah, only I couldn't sleep, too much noise." The kid said. Laurie got off Rick's lap self-consciously, not missing the smirk on Tim's face. Rick stood up, then offered, "Do you think you can sleep now, how about a drink of water?"

"No, I'm all right. Thanks. Night." Tim turned to Rick and gave him a grateful smile, then went into the guest room.

"I'm sorry, darlin', let me put the cookies away and then you and I can go to our room." Rick said, not liking how their "guest" was acting.

It was Laurie's turn to sigh. "Yes, Rick. I think we all need a good night's sleep." She replied, then caught the unhappy look in his face.

"Last one in bed gets coal." Laurie teased, then ran into their room. Rick grinned then wasted no time in running after her.

Minutes after their door closed, a figure crept out of the guest room, then went into the kitchen. There was silence for a while, then a quiet voice was heard.

"Hey, I'm here, what next?"


	3. Chapter 3

The last day of the Christmas festival dawned clear and cold, with the sounds of the holidays everywhere. By the time the sun rose, "Santa" was already on his throne.

"All right, son, what do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?"

Rick nearly burst out laughing as his nephew Robin replied, "I want a horse, just like Auntie Laurie has, and a baseball glove, and a baby doll for my sister so she doesn't chew on the glove."

"Well, Robin, you're a good boy to want something for your sister. You keep minding your parents, and you'll find something under the tree, okay?"

"Yes, Santa. Thank you!" With a burst of enthusiasm Robin hugged Rick, then hopped off his lap, leaving a misty-eyed Santa behind.

"That was nice, "Santa", "Elf" Abby told him, trying not to cry. Rick shook his head.

"Now I know why Ron got so emotional being Santa for the kids. Okay, I think I'm ready for Ceci, now."

After hearing the wishes of seemingly half the children in Phoenix for the last two days, Rick was ready to raid a toy store and spend the rest of the holidays delivering presents. As Abby hung a "feeding my reindeer" sign on the door of "Santa's workshop", a voice stopped Rick as he climbed off his throne.

"You were good, Mr. Simon. How do you do it?" Tim Michaels stood lounging against the side of the little house.

"Oh, hi, Tim." Rick was pleased to see the boy, he'd finally started settling in the last day or so. "Well, you met Mr. Goldman, Laurie's father, didn't you?"

Tim shrugged nonchalantly . "I guess so.

"Well, he's been doing Santa for our family and friends for several years, and he taught me to listen to what the children are saying. This is my first time, so some of what makes him a good Santa must have rubbed off on me." Rick explained, seeing a puzzled look in the boy's eyes.

Just then his brother came up to him, an angry expression on his face. As Rick turned toward him, Tim mumbled some excuse, then slipped away.

"Rick, we need to talk. What time are you and Laurie getting back to the house?" The older Simon tensed, then saw Ron beckoning to both of them from the main park stage.

"As soon as she's done with her last story. What happened?"

"Tell you when we get home. Ron wants us." A.J. replied, obviously upset about something.

"Okay." Rick followed him toward the platform, where Laurie was sitting in her cowgirl costume, now trimmed with red and green sequins. Both brothers managed a smile as she waved at them, and Rick gave her a wink as they joined their friend.

"Guys, we had to move Laurie, there was just no way we could get this crowd in the picnic area. Can you guys help security, I don't want her to be nervous." Ron asked with a worried air.

"Sure, pal. A.J.?" Rick was concerned about him, it wasn't like A.J. to get worked up about nothing.

"I'm in." the younger man sighed, then gave Rick a reassuring smile.

As the Simons' took their places, Rick could see why Ron was concerned. As word had gotten out that Laurie was reading a Christmas story, many of her readers had packed the outdoor arena.

Taking a deep breath, Rick blew a kiss at his wife, who beamed at him, then stood and bowed as Ron introduced her.

Fortunately Laurie's ease in telling of her Great-Grandmother's "First Christmas On the Prairie" kept her audience riveted. Rick watched their reactions, then spotted Tim Michaels at the edge of the crowd. The boy seemed to enjoy the story, then volunteered his seat at one point to an older lady.

"Maybe he's ready to be part of our family." Rick thought, realizing that something about the lonely boy had touched him, reminded him of himself after his father had died.

As she finished the story, a loud ovation brought a smile to Laurie's face, then she ran off the stage into Rick's arms.

"That was great, sweetheart. I'm so proud of you!" he told her, dropping a kiss on her lips.

"It was you being there, Rick, you are my best audience. You too!" Laurie hugged him then A.J..

Deciding to whisk Laurie away before autograph seekers inundated her, both men linked arms with her then met up with their families. As they drove back to A.J.'s, Rick enjoyed hearing Tim's reactions to all the activities at the festival. Once they reached the condo, the boy seemed to change again, sulkily going outside the minute he saw Rick paying attention to his nieces and nephews.

"A.J., are you sure?"

Rick stood in A.J.'s kitchen, dumbfounded.

A.J. sat before him, his anger only slightly abated. His nephew Ricky stood next to him, his cheek bearing a fresh bruise. "I came around the corner right when he hit Ricky, good thing Ron got to him before I did." the younger Simon replied.

"He said you and Auntie Laurie were gross, kissing like a couple of teenagers, then when I told him he was full of it, he slugged me." Ricky told him. "Just then Uncle Ron came by, and Tim claimed he was just fooling around. Uncle Ron grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away."

"Ricky, I ….I don't know what to say. I'm sorry, son. I thought he was just acting out because he was upset about his mom." Rick didn't know what to think.

"Well, he's acting out all right-but I don't want him around the kids until he gets himself under control." A.J. huffed, trying to calm down. Rick put an arm around his namesake.

"I'm sorry, Ricky. I think I'm going to have a little talk with Tim, your Aunt and I have cut him some slack, but he's not going to get away with assaulting my nephew."

"Thanks, Uncle Rick." Ricky hugged him back, then added, "I guess maybe I'd be a little nasty if my parents took off on me, but then again…" the boy looked at his father, then threw his arms around him.

Touched, Rick had to look away as A.J. hugged his son. "It's all right, Ricky. You couldn't get rid of me or your mom if you tried."

Leaving the two of them, Rick furiously went looking for Tim, and found him sitting watching Ceci and Robin play with Melly.

"Tim, I need to speak with you a moment." He said, trying to stay calm. The kid turned and looked at him, and at once Rick swallowed his anger. There was a naked loneliness in his expression, and again Rick saw his 15-year-old self-staring back at him.

"If it's about socking Ricky, I already told Chief Ron I'm sorry." Tim told him, a tremor in his voice.

"It's not the Chief you need to apologize to, although that's a start." Rick explained in an even tone. "You had no right to hit Ricky, I'm not even going to bring up the fact you stirred him up by insulting Mrs. Simon and I."

"I know, I'm sorry. I was…." Tim took a deep breath. "I was jealous of Ricky, I just wanted to get a rise out of him, not you, Mr. Simon. I …I'm not used to seeing people, parents being nice to each other."

Rick tried not to swear…how had this kid been raised? "Well, I think you ought to apologize to him and A.J., then we'll call Chief Ron and see if there's been any word on your folks."

After he had seen to Tim's making amends, Rick drove the three of them home to the ranch. Tim pleaded tiredness and dozed off in the back seat the camper shell, while Rick and Laurie discussed the holiday fair and how successful it had been.

Once they were in the house, Laurie made a light supper, teasing Rick about all the junk food he'd eaten at the festival. Rick noticed the boy was hardly eating. "Tim?"

"Yes sir?" Tim cast his eyes reluctantly away from his plate, then faced husband and wife.

"Is something wrong? Do you feel okay?" Rick was concerned, then surprised when the young man pushed back from the table.

"Yeah, but I'm kinda tired. I think I'll go to bed. 'Night." He said, then went into his room and closed the door.

Rick stared after Tim, then sighed and finished his dinner, not noticing the worry in Laurie's eyes.

"Rick, I need to talk to you, can we go outside?" Laurie asked after clearing the dinner dishes.

"Sure, sweetheart." He looked up, and saw an upset look on her face. Suddenly it came to him that she must have been told by Linda or A.J. what Tim had said and done.

"Come on, Laurie, give the old man a hand up." He said, trying to tease her into a smile. Holding out his hand, she took it and he came up out of his chair like a shot, then pulled her into his arms.

"Gotcha." Rick grinned, then saw her face soften, a faint blush on her cheeks.

"You stinker, I can't ever be unhappy with you around." Laurie told him quietly, then she snuggled her face against his chest.

"Darlin'….." he kissed the top of her head, then taking her hand in his, led her out of the house and into the outdoor patio, where the last ray's of the sun shone coldly through the clouds.

"Now what's up? Is it this business with Tim?" Rick asked as they sat down, then let out a deep breath as Laurie nodded reluctantly.

"I'm sorry, Rick. I…I was pretty upset when Linda told me what Tim did, making fun of us then hitting Ricky when he confronted Tim. I'm beginning to think…." She stopped and looked downcast.

"What sweetheart? You can be honest with me." He was concerned as she hesitated, then blurted out, "I think Tim should go to a foster family, someone who can handle his problems."

"A foster family? Laurie, what are you talking about? We are his foster family, we're the only ones, heck, the only people other then Ron and A.J. who know or care about Tim." Rick was in disbelief that his wife would even think of such a thing.

"Rick, I know you care what happens to Tim, and so do I. But we, and I do mean we, don't have the slightest bit of experience with a troubled kid like Tim. His mood swings, his behavior, the way he lashes out at everyone, I don't know what to do about it." Laurie explained.

Rick shook his head vehemently. "Laurie, I do know how to handle Tim. I've already spoken to him about his acting out today, and he's apologized to Ricky and A.J.. He knows he crossed the line today, and it won't happen again."

"Rick, are you sure? I mean, kids are different then they used to be, and we don't know if this is the way…" Laurie began, only for Rick to interrupt her.

"Look, if you don't want Tim here, just say so, Laurie. I won't make you take care of him if you don't want to. But I think it's wrong to judge Tim on one or two blow-ups. And to force him to stay with strangers while his parents are who-knows-where?" Rick's voice started to rise.

"All right, Rick." Laurie said quietly. Rick looked at her and saw disappointment in her eyes. "Let's back off talking about this for the night. I don't think we can discuss this calmly right now, and I don't want to have Tim hear us bickering like this. I'll do the dishes if you can close up for the night."

"Okay, I'll be in the barn." Rick got up and strode briskly to the barn. As he methodically fed the few horses in the stalls and made a safety check, he started to realize what he had said, and worse yet, how he had treated Laurie. Hadn't he told her to be honest with him?

"Okay, so sending Tim to a foster home is wrong, but, what do I know about this kid? And how could I forget how he's treated Laurie, after the way she's tried to include him in things?" Rick thought.

Stubbornly he ignored the regret that started to wash over him, and finishing his chores, he closed the lights and started to shut the barn door, only to have a haunting picture flash before his eyes.

_He saw the golden brown fur sticking out from under the sheet Rudy had gently placed over the dog. Except the unnatural quiet of the animal, it looked just like Mike was asleep…_

Unshed tears spilled out of his eyes, and Rick quickly wiped his cheeks, ashamed how soon he could have forgotten the sadness they had both recently faced. Laurie hadn't wept one tear in his presence, trying to be supportive of his feelings.

But this boy…..what was he supposed to do, when he saw Tim hurting so much…so like how he felt..

Thinking all this through, Rick was no closer to a solution as he came in the house, then grabbing a cup of coffee, went to the living room. Hoping that Laurie was there, he found it empty and cold, then turned and saw that their bedroom door was now closed.

Sitting in his chair, Rick closed his eyes and leaned back, trying to deal with his mixed emotions. Laurie was right, he didn't have great knowledge of a young boy's behavior. Robbie had never acted out like Tim, neither had Ricky or Andy ….. All he had was a gut feeling that was increasingly suspect, and the honest words of his wife…who cared as much as he did.

"Rick?"

Startled, Rick opened his eyes to see Laurie on her knees in front of him. She reached out her hands, and automatically he took them in his.

"Darlin'….what is it?"

"I'm sorry, Rick. I was wrong to question how you could understand Tim. You do know more about how he feels then I could, and I had no right to doubt you or make any kind of assumptions about him. Can you forgive me?" She said somberly, a look of shame on her face.

"Laurie, oh, sweetheart, of course…." Emotionally Rick pulled her into his arms, then hugged her tightly.

"Thank you, darling….I love you, I'm so sorry…" Laurie began, only for Rick to kiss her, then releasing her lips for a moment, tell her, "I'm sorry, too, angel. Please forgive me, I should never have talked to you like that. You're right, I don't know Tim, and what if he has bigger problems then this?"

"Oh love, no…..I don't want you doubting yourself….please, Rick…we can work this out together…" Laurie whispered, then hungrily kissed him all over his face.

"Yes, sweetheart, we can….I promise never to blow up like that again." He replied, cupping her face in his hands. "I love you so much, I always want you to be honest with me, Laurie."

"I will, darling." She said, kissing his hands then meeting his lips with hers.

Gently kissing her cheek, Rick stood up from his chair with Laurie still in his arms. "Come on, Princess, I think we've both had a day, let's go to bed."

"Yes, Rick." Laurie put her arms around Rick's neck and let him carry her to their room. As he set her down on their bed, a rustle from outside the door caused him to turn, just in time to see Tim Michaels going back to his room. Rick thought about confronting the boy, but decided against it for the moment. A whimpering noise alerted him to Rex's wanting in, so he opened the kitchen door and let their pet in.

"Is someone out there, Rick?"

Laurie had a startled look on her face, and Rick hastened to reassure her.

"I think Rex woke someone up, he can sleep in here tonight."

As they got ready for bed, Rick faced a bitter truth….his wife was right, he may have underestimated the depth of Tim's problems.

As he settled down next to Laurie, a thump let him know Rex had decided to make himself at home at the foot of the bed. "Rex, off the bed!" he growled, then a soft giggle sounded in his ear.

"Darling, I think Rex will make a good foot warmer tonight, can he stay?"

"All right, princess. But why don't I be your bed warmer, instead?" he returned teasingly, turning toward his wife and gathering her against him.

"Hmmmm, you have very good ideas, love." Laurie pressed her lips against his neck, then snuggled her head under his chin.

All the worries of the day melted away instantly as Rick dropped a kiss on her hair, then closed his eyes. He'd get to the bottom of everything in the morning.


	4. Chapter 4

The ringing phone startled him as he finished the breakfast dishes.

"I'll get it, Rick!" Laurie's voice came from the living room, where she had taken her cup of tea and gift list.

A moment later she appeared in the kitchen door. "Rick, Ron's on the phone. Have you seen Tim?"

"He's taking out the trash, he'll be right in." Rick sighed, putting down the dish towel and picking up the extension.

"Morning Ron."

"Hey, pal. I've got some information on the Michaels, can you come into the office?", his friend asked.

The tone of his voice gave hope to Rick, maybe the kid's folks had been found?

"Sure, I'll bring Tim in with me, what's up?" Rick asked, then Ron's voice sharpened.

"Leave him home with Laurie, Rick. I don't think he should hear what his parents have been up to. Can you reach A.J. and meet him here?"

"I'll call him now, see you in about an hour." Rick winced as he hung up the phone. This didn't sound good.

"Mr. Simon? Was that Chief Ron?" Tim came into the kitchen, then closed the door, a hopeful look on his face.

"Yes, son. I have to meet with A.J. and Ron about some information we've received. I'll be back in a while." Rick didn't want to reveal too much about what Ron had said. "

"Wait a minute, why can't I go with you? If you know something about my folks, I need to hear it."

Tim retorted defiantly. Rick felt the hair rise on his neck.

"Chief's orders, Tim. We're dealing with confidential information apparently. As soon as I talk to him, I'll call you." He replied firmly.

"Besides, Tim, I could use your help with exercising the horses." Laurie came into the room and smiled hopefully at the boy.

Tim's mouth opened as if to argue, then, surprisingly, he nodded. "Okay, Mrs. Simon. Can I ride Boots?"

"Of course, we can go for a ride until Rick comes back." She beamed at Tim, then turned to Rick.

"Go ahead and call A.J., darling. I'll make you a thermos of coffee."

"Yes, sweetheart." Rick grinned then picked her up and gave her a kiss. "Thank you, my angel."

He whispered, letting her know how much he appreciated her reaching out to Tim.

"You're most welcome, love." Laurie giggled as he put her down, then went to use the phone.

An hour later he and A.J. stood looking at a file on Chief Ron's desk. Rick shook his head angrily.

"I'm a prize dope, why didn't I make the connection?"

"Because you were busy feeling sorry for the mother and her son, Rick." A.J. said, putting an arm around his brother.

Ron looked him in the eye. "You did what any caring person would have done. The Michaels are pros at this, who would have guessed they'd be using the "Badger Game" in this day and age? At least we know where they were yesterday, we can run their pictures on the news tonight and hopefully catch them before they pull their act again."

"I know, but if I'd even thought about that sketch, I saw the guy, and so did Laurie….."

Suddenly Rick had a cold feeling in his stomach.

"Ron, where did the report say Sharon Michaels was spotted?"

"In Tempe, she was on the phone outside a restaurant when the sheriff's unit saw her. Unfortunately by the time they called in to their station, she'd taken off." Ron frowned as Rick's meaning became clear.

"I'll call them back, see if they can trace the call from the payphone."

Within minutes Ron was hanging up the phone. "Rick, call Laurie and have her and Tim get in the house and lock up. The last two calls on that phone were to information and your house."

Immediately Rick rang the house. The phone rang and rang, then the answering tape came on.

"Laurie, it's Rick. You and Tim stay in the house and lock up, I'll be home in 20 minutes." He said, desperately hoping she was in the vicinity.

"Let me try again for you then I'll follow you to the ranch." Ron told him, as Rick and A.J. raced out of the office.

Once they were on the road, Rick called to Laurie on his transmitter. "Laurie, sweetheart, please answer."

A burst of static sounded, then her voice loud and clear. "Rick? Is anything wrong?"

Relief flooded through him as he replied "Yes, Laurie, is Tim with you?"

"Yes, love, we just finished our ride, we're in the barn. It's okay, Tim, he can have a carrot." Laurie's aside to the boy reassured the two brothers.

"Laurie, you and Tim need to get into the house now. Don't say anything, just get him and Rex and go. A.J. and I are on are way." Rick told her firmly.

"All right love, just let me…..Oh!" Rick heard a thump, then the sound of angry voices.

There was a few moments of silence, as Rick called out frantically, "Laurie, Laurie, answer me. Are you all right?" A.J. immediately called for help on his transmitter.

An intake of breath was heard, then a frightened call. "Rick?"

"Sweetheart, what happened?" he responded, his heart thudding in his chest.

"Rick, someone pushed me….from behind….We're locked in the barn, oh, no!" Laurie caught her breath at the sight that greeted her as she pushed at the barn door.

Smoke was coming in underneath the door, causing her and Tim to cough and choke.

"Rick! The barn's on fire! Hurry, darling!"

"Hold on, Laurie!" Rick yelled into his transmitter, then gunned the truck recklessly around the Rocky Point curve and down the straightaway towards the ranch

"I've got Robbie, Rick. Son, call the fire department, the barn's on fire and your Mom and the kid are inside!" A.J. told his nephew, then his transmitter crackled with Robbie's voice. "I'm on my way, Uncle A.J."

He called her name again, then heard footsteps, and a voice. "Mrs. Simon, I can't open it!"

It was Tim's. Frantically he called, "Tim, can you hear me?"

Apparently the crackling in the background covered his yelling, as he heard panting and Laurie's telling he kid, "Stay low, Tim, that's it! Now try pushing that latch again."

As he rounded the final curve, Rick saw the smoke turning white in the air, then screeched through the gate and slammed to a halt. Tim was collapsed next to his wife on the porch.

"Laurie!" One moment he was in his truck, then next he was holding her as she clung to him.

"Rick, someone locked us in the barn, if Tim hadn't gotten the back door open … but you heard me, .." she choked, then Rick rocked her in his arms and soothed her. "Sweetheart, thank God you're safe….I'm here."

He looked carefully at her, then seeing she was unhurt save a scraped knee, asked " Tim, are you all right?"

The boy coughed, then nodded. "Yeah, thanks to that fire extinguisher you keep next to the stalls. I hit that rusty old door with the foam, and it loosened the latch so I was able to push the door open. When we got out, I managed to put the hay bales out." Rick swore inwardly, he'd make sure that door opened without a problem from now on.

The sound of cars halted Tim's explanation, and all three of them looked up to see Rudy and Oscar jump out of one car, while Robbie and Ron vaulted out of their police cruisers. Right behind them was the local Fire Department, which immediately unloaded their hoses and finished putting the fire out.

"Mama!" Robbie ran to her side as she tried to smile. "Honey, I'm all right, but the barn, oh Rex, where is he?" Laurie tried to get up, then settled down as Rudy shushed her. "Easy, Missy, we'll look for him. Rick?" he frowned, looking at him for answers. Oscar put an arm around Laurie as Rick explained.

"Someone tried to kill Laurie and Tim by locking them in the barn and setting the hay bales on fire. If Tim hadn't been here…Son, I can't even begin to say thank you." Rick turned to the boy, only to see him look away. "Tim, what is it?"

Ron came up the walk just then, and hearing Rick, faced the boy "It was your father who locked Mrs. Simon and you in the barn, isn't it?"

Tim raised his head, then haltingly said, "I wouldn't have let him hurt Mrs. Simon…I turned around and saw him push Mrs. Simon to the ground, then he spotted me. I yelled at him but he slammed the door shut."

Ron put an arm around the boy. "It's all right, Tim, we know all about your folks, and we won't let them hurt you. I need you to come back to Phoenix with me, son. We'll make sure your father and mother don't …"

"No!" Tim sprung up from the porch bench. "My mom, you don't understand, he makes her do bad things. He …he'll hurt her unless she helps him. She called me…tried to warn me he was coming….."

"Okay, Tim, that's good. We'll find them and get her to safety before he can harm her again." Ron calmed him down, then Rick added, "It's going to be all right, son. As soon as it's safe, you can come and stay with us."

"Thank you." A look of relief was on Tim's face, then he let Rick and Laurie give him a hug before joining Ron in his squad car. As they pulled out of the ranch driveway, the firemen came from the barn, one of them holding a wriggling, ash-covered dog.

"Rex, oh, Rick, he's all right!" Laurie gasped, then Rick took the excited dog from the firefighter and put him in Laurie's arms.

"Oh, baby dog, where were you? Thank you for saving Rexy!" Laurie held him as Rudy insisted on checking her over. She saw the worried faces of her father and friend.

"I'm all right, Rudy, my knees are the only thing that hurt, they got scraped when I got knocked down." she said, then smiled with relief when their friend agreed.

"You did all the right things, Missy. Knowing that staying low to the ground and being calm kept you and the boy free from smoke inhalation. I want the three of you to rest. Yes, you too, Rex." Rudy said sternly, then laughed as the little dog barked then jumped onto his lap.

"Laurie, honey, I don't want you going so much as a step without one of us with you." Oscar told her sternly, and she sighed.

"Yes, Dad. I promise. I don't want those people using me to hurt Rick or Tim."

Rick's worry lightened and he put an arm around his wife. "My brave girl. We'll catch that creep, now why don't we go inside and have some lunch. Then I'll finish putting the Christmas lights on."

"Oh, that's the best offer I've had all day!" she teased, then Robbie kissed her cheek. " I'll help Pop, Mama. I did our lights already."

"Thanks, Robbie. Your uncle and I can use the extra talent." Rick snickered as Laurie added, "That's what we Simons have, talent!"

"Yeah, among other things!" Oscar quipped, then he scooted into the house ahead of a laughing Rudy.

The next day Rick stood and surveyed their house with pride. "Okay, sweetheart, you can come look now."

Carefully coming down the icy walk, Laurie stopped, then clapped her hands with excitement.

"Darling, it's beautiful, I love the chasing bell lights! And the moving Candy Canes, that's so cute."

"I told A.J. that's what you'd notice first! I found those in Prescott…hang on…" Rick stopped as he heard the phone ring. He went back into the house and picked up the extension.

"Simon residence"

He heard a whispered voice, "Mr. Simon…it's Tim. I know where my folks are hiding out."

"Tim, where are you? Where's Chief Ron." Rick started, then Tim interrupted him.

"No! My dad'll hurt my Mom if he sees the police. I need you to meet me here, at your old offices. That's where my dad has my mom. You can call the Chief once you get here. Please."

Suddenly the phone clicked off, and Rick hit his receiver to see where the call came from.

The caller id flashed. It was his and A.J.'s old office.

"Rick, who was it?" Laurie came shivering into the living room, then her smile dropped when she saw her husband's face.

"Rick, was that about the Michaels?"

"It was Tim, he says he knows where his parents are. He wants to meet me at our old office building. I'm going to call Ron and have him meet me there. I can't understand how the kid got away from him to begin with." Rick groused, dialing the Chief of Detectives.

Unfortunately Ron's voice mail was on, and after leaving a message, Rick hung up and went to get his weapon.

"Rick, I don't want you going by yourself. Robbie's off today, please call him or A.J." Laurie asked, a familiar fear running through her.

Rick saw the look in her eyes, and put an arm around her. "I will, sweetheart. This guy's not going to get away this time."

"I know, darling. Why don't I go with you, I'll stay in the car and keep an eye out while you…" Laurie started, then Rick put a halt to her suggestion by kissing her.

"No, Laurie." He said, releasing her lips reluctantly. "I'm not taking any chances, after that premonition of yours, you're not going anywhere near the office."

Laurie started to shake her head, then gazed into Rick's eyes, and nodded instead. "Yes, Rick. Promise me you'll be careful, please."

"I will, princess." Rick embraced her, then grabbed his jacket. "I'll call your Dad on the way, he and Rudy will stay with you until I get home, okay?"

"Si." Laurie managed, then smiled at her husband. "Be safe, Rick. I love you."

"I will, sweetheart." It was his turn to be emotional. Rick kissed her, then hurriedly left the house and climbed into his truck. Laurie followed him out, and he suddenly felt the need to lean out his window and tell her "I love you, too."

"I know." She whispered, then waved as he put the truck into gear and drove off.

As he drove down the highway, something kept nagging at him in the back of his mind.

"How did Tim go wandering off by himself?"


	5. Chapter 5

As she watched his car disappear in the distance, Laurie had the same thought. Rushing into the house, Laurie dialed Phoenix PD and found that Ron had not come back from lunch. Worried, she called Abby Johnson.

"Hon, have you heard from Ron?"

"No, Laurie, and he was supposed to call me to say if Tim was coming here for dinner or if Rick was supposed to pick him up. Something's wrong." The former detective was obviously trying to stay calm.

"I'm going to call Dad and Rudy. This smells like a trap." Laurie said, then caught her breath as Abby added, "I think Tim's more involved then Ron thought. You get a hold of the guys, I'll go meet Rick at the office parking lot."

Immediately Laurie hung up then called her husband on his transmitter. "Rick, pick up."

"Sweetheart, has Ron called?" his anxious voice answered. "I'm about ten minutes from town."

"No, love. Abby's worried. She's going to meet you at the parking lot of your building. Dad and Rudy aren't here yet, so as soon as they come we're going to rendezvous with you and Abby." Laurie was firm.

Rick sighed. How was he supposed to keep his wife safe? "All right, Laurie. But you and Abby are going to stay put when we get there. I'll see you in a while."

Just then Oscar Goldman's car pulled into the driveway, and the older man got out and met Laurie at the door.

"I'm glad you're here, Dad." She hugged him, then filled him in on what had happened.

"Rudy's still in town, so I'll drive us to meet Rick. Remember, honey, " Oscar wagged his finger at his daughter. "You are staying in the car, I'll go back up the others, understand?"

"Yes, Dad. I promise." Laurie sighed. The two of them got into Oscar's sedan and headed out on the highway.

Twenty minutes later Rick turned into the parking lot of his and A.J.'s old stomping grounds, he had gotten caught in the holiday traffic. Unfortunately his son had gotten called into work, so he was hoping A.J. would get there at the same time to back him up. As he entered the driveway, he braked sharply. Hidden behind a truck was a familiar police cruiser. Backing up, Rick parked next to it, then got out and carefully approached the car.

"Ron?" He called, then a frantic thumping noise caught his ear.

"Hang on, Ron, are you in the trunk?" Rick looked in the car and found the keys in the ignition. Grabbing them, he quickly came round the rear of the cruiser in time to hear a muffled "in here!".

As Rick went to unlock the trunk, Laurie blessed Oscar for having taken the faster surface streets. Not seeing either Rick's or Ron's vehicles, she had him pull to the other side of the office building.

"I'll call Rick from the lobby, honey. You stay here and wait for Abby." The former OSI chief ordered, then leavened his tone with a hug for his adopted daughter.

"Thank you, Dad. Be careful." She whispered, then watched him go inside, a cold sensation forming in the pit of her stomach. Something was very wrong here.

Scarcely had he gone out of sight when Abby pulled up in her sports car. Getting out, she came to the side of Oscar's car. "Hey, buddy. Where's Oscar?"

Before Laurie could answer, the click of a safety being removed froze the two women. A female voice, cold and threatening interrupted them.

"Don't turn around, don't call out or scream. Or both of you will watch your husbands die."

Laurie saw Abby's eyes narrow, and she immediately mouthed "I have my gun."

"Rick! Mrs. Michaels is out here, she has a gun on Abby and I….." Laurie "called " to him.

"All right, Mrs. Johnson, open the trunk of your car, now!" the woman ordered, and Laurie tensed, quietly opening the car door. She saw Abby palm her weapon, then out of the corner of her eye she witnessed the now brunette woman back up as her friend came around and unlocked the trunk. As the hatch opened, Laurie saw Sharon Michael raise her hand, a 45 revolver clutched in her fist.

"Abby, duck!" She screamed, then tackled the woman's legs just as she struck Abby a glancing blow. As Abby stumbled and half-fell into the open trunk, Laurie sprang up from the ground, knocking the gun from their attackers hand. Amazingly, Sharon Michaels rolled to her feet, then pulled a knife.

"You're going to die, Mrs. Simon, I'll take care of your friend here first." She smirked, then cried out as Laurie grabbed a handful of gravel and flung it into her face.

"I'll kill you!" the woman sputtered, as Laurie ran, hoping to lead the would-be murderer away from Abby.

As she ran toward the office building, Laurie heard the pounding footsteps of her pursuer, and knew that Abby was safe.

"Laurie, when you get to the entrance, drop!" Rick's voice sounded in her head, and relief washed over her.

"Yes, Rick." She "answered", then saw the double doors coming up. As she reached them, she dashed inside and let herself fall, only to feel strong arms catch her before she hit the floor.

"What the…..no!" Sharon Michaels' scream reverberated through the lobby, then Rick shouted, "Drop the knife and spread'em, Mrs. Michaels!"

Rick saw the woman collapse on the floor, then he looked over to see Oscar holding Laurie protectively. "Sweetheart, are you all right?"

Laurie looked up at her father and smiled, then gazed at Rick. "I'm fine, darling. I prayed you'd hear me, she was going to hurt Abby."

"No, no, angel. Ron and I were coming when you knocked this …piece of work down. Abby's all right." Rick restrained himself from slapping her assailant in the face.

"Dad, where's Tim? Did you find him or Mr. Michaels?"

Oscar jerked his head angrily. "He was hiding in your old offices like you thought. A.J.?"

The younger Simon came out of the elevator, pushing a disheveled Jeff Michaels and his son ahead of him at gunpoint.

Rick's eyes darkened as the woman on the ground let loose a string of profanity. "Good work, little brother. His trick almost worked." He growled.

Hearing a quick intake of breath, he saw disillusionment on his wife's face. "He did try to lure you into a trap, Rick. Why, Tim?" she said quietly.

The boy refused to look up, then mumbled, "Because you and Mr. Simon were the only ones who could have tied us into the killing in California. I didn't want to see you hurt, but you were in the way."

Rick's stomach turned. Everything he'd believed about Tim Michaels was a lie. Even his age, he wasn't 12, he was 16, from what Ron had found out.

"Everyone okay in here?" Ron came into the lobby, a bandage around his head. He saw Oscar helping Laurie up, then eyed the three Michaels' with disgust. "All right, men, take them in and read them their rights." He ordered, as the four deputies with him took the would-be killers into custody. "And you can book the boy into Juvenile Hall, he's still young enough to go there."

"We're all right, Ron. Is Abby okay?" Laurie asked, then sighed with relief as the Chief smiled.

"Just a bruise on her face, honey. You really saved her life. Abby wants you on her "Capture The Flag:"team next time they play, she says you're tough enough."

"That I'd have to see!" Oscar teased his daughter, then released her from his arms to Rick, who hugged her tightly.

"Thanks, Dad. Nice catch." He told his father-in-law, then saw the relief in his eyes.

"I guess my reflexes are still there." Oscar answered proudly, then A.J. spoke up.

"Guess nothing, I didn't even see Michaels until his shadow moved! I'm sure glad you did."

Seeing the puzzled look on Laurie's face, A.J. added, "Oscar and I went up the fire stairs to our old place, where Tim was waiting to ambush Rick. That animal", he jerked his head at the scowling killers being led away, "was hiding in the main stairwell in case you escaped his son. Fortunately, Oscar got the drop on him."

The older man grinned. "Looks like we make a good team, son. Sure you don't want to trade Rick in?"

Relieved laughter answered him, then Harry the old security guard shooed them all out, grumbling about extra overtime.

As they filed out of the office building, Rick kept a tight hold on his wife's hand, then saw her smile at him. "Darling, it's all right now. I'm sorry Tim was involved, but you and A.J. and Dad got him and his folks before they could hurt us." Laurie raised his hand to her lips, then Rick slid his arm around her.

"My brave Valkrie, I'm so proud of you. Santa's going to bring you an extra good present." He murmured.

"Well, then we need to go home so I can tell Santa about my very good husband." Laurie whispered, then kissed his ear.

"Last one to talk to Santa's a slow poke." Rick snickered, then pulled her along, pretending to race his friends to their cars.


	6. Chapter 6

"There, that's the last present."

Rick stood back from the huge tree, green and fragrant and glowing with dozens of lights. It was Christmas Eve, and he was finally getting back his Christmas spirit.

"Think you two got enough stuff?" His brother teased, plopping down in Rick's easy chair.

"Oh yeah, wait until she sees that pendant, it's got so much fire in it, it'll probably glow in the dark." Rick crowed, then saw a large box with his name on it.

"Hmmm, wonder what this is?" Rick shook it, then snorted when A.J. needled "If she catches you doing that, you're going to get coal.!"

"Yeah, right." He smirked, then quickly put the box back under the tree when he heard footsteps.

"There's our Christmas Elves." Rick saw Andy and Lala and Petey come in from the guest room, then immediately race over to give him and their uncle a hug.

"Grandpa, I think we made Grandma sad." Lala piped up, then Andy nodded as Petey added, "She's cwying."

Startled, Rick looked over at A.J., who cleared his throat. "Andy, why is your Grandma sad? Did she hurt herself?"

"No, Uncle A.J., she told us we could help fill the stockings for the Christmas party at the Cultural Center. She was pretending, well, she was getting stuff from her Treasure Chest, when she pulled out something, then …" the boy wiped his eyes and looked down until Rick gave him a hug.

"Then what, Andy?"

"She said, "oh Mike, " then put her head down and started shaking. I asked her if she was okay, and she said yes, then asked me if I'd take Lala and Pete to see the Christmas tree." Andy swallowed hard as Rick patted his shoulder. A.J. lifted the two younger children onto his lap as Rick spoke.

"You didn't make her sad, Andy, nor Lala or Petey." He looked at each worried little face. "I think Grandma's been so busy trying to make everyone feel better, she didn't get a chance to be sorry for Mike not being here. I'll go see her." Rick got up as Robbie came in the room, carrying more presents.

"Son, can you get a glass of water for your mother, the kids say she's upset. I'm going to check on her now."

"Sure, Pop. She's been working so hard on getting things organized for Christmas….I'll be right in." Robbie said with a worried expression.

As Rick went into their room, he saw his wife kneeling by the bed, her face buried in the bedspread.

Quietly he approached her, then saw something in her hand. A dog collar, blue with a silver heart.

"Laurie, sweetheart." He whispered, then held out his arms as she lifted her wet face and turned to look at him. "Rick, oh I'm sorry." She murmured brokenly, then launched herself into his embrace.

Great tearing sobs erupted from her as Rick sat on the bed and just held her. He comforted her and whispered "I'm sorry, I miss him too, darlin'."

After a few moments her shaking stopped as he added, "I'm gonna miss him covering his eyes when you blow your nose, angel. Remember?"

Laurie raised her eyes to his, still sniffing, and a faint smile touched her lips. "I remember, he was so cute, and you and A.J. were so bad to teach him that. Naughty guys."

"I know, Laurie. But as long as you and I think of that silly dog, he won't be gone to us." Rick told her, taking his handkerchief and wiping her face. Blowing her nose for her, she giggled through her sniffles.

"I love you, Rick. You are my safe place, my husband who gives me strength." She said, then kissed him.

"Oh, sweetheart." Rick was touched by her words. "I love you, I'll always be there for you."

"Mama, are you all right?" Robbie was at the door, holding a glass of water, and Rick helped her to sit up and take a sip.

"Yes, Robbie. Thank you." Laurie beamed at her tall son, then drew his face down for a kiss. "You have been so good in helping us, with how busy you and Ramona have been."

"I wish I could have been a bigger help with everything. That's the worst part of working two jobs." Robbie told them, frustrated.

"Son, you've been a great help, especially when we can't get back in time to do chores, or when I don't want your mother driving the slick roads." Rick reminded him. "I just wish we had more time to spend together."

"Pop, I've been thinking, and talking something over with Ramona." Robbie blurted out. "What would you and Mama think of me quitting working with Phoenix PD, and just work for the Silver Rock Sheriff's station and….."

"And what, Robbie?" Rick asked.

"And I come to work with you and Uncle A.J., and you teach me how to be a private eye?"

Rick's jaw dropped open, and he dimly registered that Laurie's sharp intake of breath meant it was a surprise to her too.

Teaching his son…..working with Robbie, keeping him safe and at the same time passing on the family business…..

"Pop?"

A slow grin spread across his face as he looked at his wife. She too was smiling now, then nodded at his unspoken request.

"Well now, we'd have to have some ground rules, son. No taking unnecessary chances, no going in after the bad guy until you have back up…." Rick began, then couldn't continue his teasing at the look of happiness on his boy's face.

"Pop……I promise, I'll mind all the rules you and Uncle A.J. didn't …" Robbie started, then he enveloped his parents in an emotional hug.

"Guys? I've got some anxious kiddies here." A.J.'s voice came from the doorway, and Rick cleared his throat. "Okay, everyone dog pile in here."

Immediately the room was filled with grandchildren, nieces, nephews, Ramona and Ian and Robin. After the first round of hugs, a little black streak came bounding in, barking and wagging.

"Sweetheart, why don't you put his present on him?" Rick told Laurie, then wanted to bite his tongue.

"Darling, this was….what?" Laurie saw Rick holding the blue leather collar, then he turned it over to show that the silver heart tag was engraved "Prince Rex".

"Rick…I had it made for Mike, it was supposed to read "Mikey". She gasped, then Rick took her hand.

"Maybe they made a mistake…or maybe…." Rick stopped as Laurie gently said "Maybe Mikey wanted Rex to have this." Leaning over, she put the collar around Rex's neck, then giggled as he jumped up to lick her face.

"You're welcome, Rexy. Here, go to daddy while I get up and fix us some lunch."

"Here, Mama." Robin and Robbie each gave her a hand up while Rick picked the wriggling dog up.

"Come on, Rex, let's go help the elves." He quipped, to the delight of the younger children.

"Yeah! Grandpa's going to help us!" Andy cheered, as A.J. laughed.

"Okay, little brother, just for that you can be in charge of the candy canes." Rick pretended to huff.

A.J. just smirked. "Fine with me, but what's this about Robbie wanting to join the firm?"

Over a pile of net stockings and Christmas candy, Rick filled him on Robbie's idea. "Is it okay with you, A.J.? I should have talked over with you first, but…"

"Calm down, Rick. I think it's a great idea, wish I'd thought of it ages ago. I was pretty sore that Phoenix PD's been running him ragged, now he'll have more time to spend with his family. I don't know why you didn't think of it first, must be age." A.J. smiled, then ducked his brother's attempt to whack him.

"Careful, A.J.. Not too late for Santa to fill your stocking with coal, and not the licorice kind either." Rick kidded, then chuckled as Ricky needled, "Yeah, Dad. Nasty dirty coal."

"I'll coal you, young man, stop eating the gumdrops." A.J. warned, wanting to laugh at his son's look of surprise. Ceci loudly whispered to her brother "told you so."

"And you, Miss, no more chocolate stars for you." Linda came in and moved the bag of sweets to the center of the kitchen table, then gathered up the completed Christmas stockings and put them in a large filing box.

Robin's loud snort of laughter caught everyone's attention, as he pointed at a very happy Rex, who was enjoying an orange slice under the table.

"Rex……" Rick tried not to laugh, then Laurie came into the room and started giggling. "You guys….naughty dog!" she wheezed, then squealed as Rick pulled her onto his lap and fed her a piece of licorice.

"A sweet for my sweet." He said, getting a kiss in return. "Thank you, love. This is the kind of spoiling I like." Laurie added.

"Speaking of spoiled, time we got the goodies over to the Center, guys." A.J. noted, then Linda helped put things away as Rick boxed up the dozens of filled Christmas treats.

Later, Rick felt very blessed as he listened to his mother reading their favorite Christmas story in front ofthefireplace. The children's party at the Cultural Center was a welcome change to an otherwise bleak holiday for the orphaned children of the area, and he'd gotten a kick out of passing out presents.

Now here he was, surrounded by his friends and family.

"Grandma, read it again!" little Robin said as Cecilia closed the storybook.

"Well, instead of me reading, why don't we have your daddy and Uncle Rick do "Rudolph?", she suggested innocently, a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Mom……." Both Simon brothers groaned, then Laurie poked Rick. "Go on, darling, you guys didn't get to do it last year."

"Laurie…." Rick grumbled under his breath, then made a big thing of getting up from his chair and standing in the middle of the living room. "Come on, A.J.."

"Oh, good, I always miss this part of the evening." Oscar Goldman came in from the kitchen, then perched next to Cecilia as A.J. shook his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, we planned it that way…..okay?"

Amid the waves of hysterical laughter, Rick and A.J. acted out the story of the reindeer, then sat down to enthusiastic applause. Just as Rick looked to see where Rex was, he spotted the rambunction dog docily sitting in Oscar's lap. A shiny object caught his eye, and he saw a small silver heart hanging from the older man's watchband.

Rick smiled, he knew where Rex's little "present" had come from.

At once a hearty "ho, ho, ho" sounded, and "Santa" was at the door. Immediately Petey and Robin ran up to the old gentleman. "Santa, Santa, did you come to eat with us?"

"Not tonight, little guys. I came to bring a few presents to some good boys and girls here." "Santa" answered, his eyes very bright at the generous sentiments of the children. Oscar sighed as Cecelia murmured "I'm glad you let Rudy do it this year, everyone should get to be a Santa."

As the children each took their turn at sitting on Santa's lap, Rick put an arm around his wife.

"Happy, sweetheart?"

"Yes, Rick, I've got everything I want, and I didn't even have to ask Santa." She whispered, then added, "And I have you, love."

"And I have you, and our family, and best of all, a new partner." Rick leaned his cheek against hers.

"All right, you two, time to tell Santa if you've been good or not!" "Santa" teased.

As husband and wife each took their turn with St. Nick, Ron and Abby Johnson came in from the cold, their son Joey running ahead of them to sit with his friends.

"Merry Christmas, pal. Did we miss anything?" he puffed to A.J. as he handed him a bag of goodies.

"Just Rick and I getting a new partner for Christmas." The younger Simon smiled, then caught his brother's eye as he went to greet the newcomers.

"Merry Christmas, Rick." He mouthed, then saw a return smile.

"Merry Christmas, A.J.."


End file.
